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Big Brothers laid groundwork for lifelong relationship

ST. GEORGE, Utah -- Hoagan Powell was a senior at the University of Houston in 1977 when Big Brothers Big Sisters matched him with 9-year-old Chuck Williams. Powell soon became a father figure to the boy.

Big Brothers laid groundwork for lifelong relationship

Big Brother pairing turned into a father figure relationship and ultimately adoption.

Chuck Williams, of Rosenberg, Texas, stands with his adopted father, Hoagan Powell, of St. George, Utah, during a Big Brother Big Sisters event in Washington City, Utah. The organization matched Powell as Williams' "big brother" when Williams was a child and Powell later adopted him.(Photo: Courtesy of Hoagan Powell)

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An unconditional love helped teach Chuck Williams what it means to be a father

Powell soon became a father figure to the boy, who was being raised by his maternal grandmother.

"At that age, I didn't understand the commitment he was making," Williams said of Powell. "I just knew he was always there."

Williams never knew his birth father but in Powell he found a father figure, someone who took him camping and played sports with him. In fact, they were kicking around a football when they accidentally hit a young woman in the head. Despite the jarring meeting, Powell would later marry the victim of his errant kick.

Beyond those regular activities with Powell, Williams said, he found someone who loved him unconditionally. Soon he began to understand what it was like to have a father.

Then Williams' grandmother passed away when he was 15. Powell looked into adopting the teenager but Williams' mother reclaimed custody of her son, raising him through the remainder of his high school years. Still, Powell continued as his "big brother."

Although the Big Brothers Big Sisters match officially ended when Williams graduated from high school and joined the U.S. Army, his father-son relationship with Powell continued. In 1991, Williams — then in his early 20s — called Powell and expressed regret that they never went through with the adoption. Powell said it was not too late, even though Williams was an adult.

"We started laying the plans to legally adopt him," said Powell, who had married and adopted two infant children by that time. "Legally he's as much our child as the other two. As far as we are concerned, there is no difference."

Powell does joke, however, that Williams is the true infant of the family since he was adopted last.

Powell, now 60, said he believes the adoption was part of God's plan for his family. He said the Holy Spirit guided him toward volunteering for Big Brothers Big Sisters and becoming so involved in Williams' life.

Now as adults they still talk to each other on the phone nearly every day. Powell continues to offer fatherly advice to his son.

Williams, who is dyslexic, faced serious learning obstacles in college but with Powell's support he eventually graduated. He now has a successful career working for Stanley Black & Decker.

"I fought my way through college," he said, becoming emotional. "I've climbed the corporate ladder. I would not have been able to achieve that without a father. A young man needs a father. That was really important to me."

Powell relocated to St. George, Utah, in 1998 with his wife, Cathy, and their two younger children. As a financial adviser, Powell still visits clients in the Houston area who prefer face-to-face contact. This gives him a chance to regularly visit Williams, who now lives in Powell's former house in Rosenberg, Texas, just southwest of Houston.

Williams is now 44 and has a 7-year-old daughter. He credits Powell with teaching him how to be a good father.

"He has really made me the father I am today," Williams said. "If I could be half as good as he is I would really be something."

When he was a boy, Williams said he thought of a father merely as someone who provides for a family, giving direction and stability to his loved ones. Now he knows there is more to it than that.

Being a father is also about commitment and love, he said.

"We are all sons and daughters of God," Williams said, referencing his Christian faith. "He loves us all unconditionally. Hoagan just picked up where God left off."

Despite the obstacles he faced as a child, Williams said he doesn't want anyone to feel sorry for him. Overcoming those obstacles helped to define him.

"Our relationship goes much further than a boy finding a 'big brother' and he adopts him and they live happily ever after," Williams said. "I didn't quit because they didn't give up on me. I didn't give up because I had a father who supported me."